


Bouquets for His Love

by Chrimson_Bonez



Series: Chrobin Week 2019 [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst, Chrobin Week, Chrobin Week 2019, Day 2, F/M, Flowers, Fluff, Hurt and comfort, flowershop au, kinda i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 10:11:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19827976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrimson_Bonez/pseuds/Chrimson_Bonez
Summary: Every week, Chrom sneaks out to buy Robin fresh flowers to show how much he loves her.





	Bouquets for His Love

**Author's Note:**

> I hardly ever write in 1st person honestly... I just thought it would be interesting to explore this scenario in a bit of a different perspective. Anyway, happy Day 2 of Chrobin Week, and I hope you enjoy!

I’ll never forget the day I first met my favorite customer.

I helped run a flower shop in Ylisstol with my grandmother, and she randomly decided to start opening the shop at the crack of dawn. She said something about trying to get ahead of our competition by being available before them. I just rolled my eyes. It was easy for her to say that when she wasn’t the one who had to get up early!

“Honestly,” I yawned, staring out at an empty street, “who would bother buying flowers this early?!” I began to nod off to sleep as I sat at the stool, my eyelids getting heavier and heavier as the thought of sleeping for just five more minutes became more and more enticing. However, the loud thudding of boots briskly walking down the otherwise quiet street startled me awake again, especially when he slowed down to stop in front of my humble stand.

“Welcome, Sir,” I tried to say with as much energy as I could muster.

“Thank the gods,” he muttered as he readjusted the hood over his head, “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find a shop that was open…” Well, there’s my answer, I thought to myself. As he reached into his pocket for what I presumed to be his pouch, I stole a quick glance at his face. He looked awful familiar, but I couldn’t remember where exactly I had seen him. That is, until I saw his blue hair, and my heart nearly stopped beating.

“Y-y-y-you’re,” I gasped has he looked back at me, “P-p-p-p-ri-“ He quickly hushed me before I could finish my thought.

“Peace, please,” he whispered, “The guards don’t know I’m here. Please, this needs to stay a secret.” I gulped and nodded, even though my whole body was still shaking uncontrollably. Lord Chrom, the prince of Ylisse and the hero who defeated the Mad King of Plegia, was standing at my flower shop!

He wore a gentle smile on his face as he nodded back and pulled out two silver pieces.

“Will these cover a bouquet?” he asked.

“O-oh! Yes of course,” I answered as I took the coins, “Now, what would you like in the bouquet?”

“U-um,” he coughed, “…Flowers? With a ribbon, I guess?”

“…ok,” I blinked, “What _kind_ of flowers, Your Grace?” His cheeks started to turn pink as he looked away and scratched his head. I knew it was rude to laugh, especially in front of royalty, but I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle or two. This man was known as a warrior, a war hero, a descendant of the Hero-King of old, and here he was unable to buy a few plants.

“…well,” I asked after a few awkwardly silent seconds, “who are the flowers for? Lady Lissa?” He shook his head almost immediately.

“No,” he answered, “No, it’s not for my sister. It’s… it’s for…” His face became even more red, then it dawned on me. A huge smile began to grow across my face.

“Ah, I see,” I snickered, “It’s for a someone special, hm?”

“Y-yes,” he laughed nervously, “Forgive me, I’m… not very good at these sort of things…”

“Don’t apologize,” I responded, “This is making my morning far more interesting! Now, does this special lady have a favorite flower?” He stared at me with fear-filled eyes, and I realized that he had no idea what flowers she liked, so I suggested a favorite color instead.

“Ah, she likes purple, I know that much,” he muttered. I nodded, and then started putting together a collection of lilacs with a matching ribbon for him.

“I’ll have to come back,” he said dejectedly as I was tying the bow, “after I find out what kinds of flowers she actually likes…”

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” I responded as I handed the flowers over, “unless she’s a stickler for those kinds of things.”

“No, she’s not like that,” he quickly corrected, “I mean, she’s a perfectionist about some things, but I don’t think she’d get mad at me…”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, so come back anytime,” I laughed. He nodded, handed me the money for the bouquet, and waved goodbye as he quickly made his way towards the castle, likely wanting to get back before his absence was noticed.

I was never one for gossip, but just knowing that our prince wasn’t necessarily as regal and smooth as we thought made me snicker here and there all day.

* * *

The next week, right at the break of dawn, I saw a familiar cloaked figure sneak his way down the street. As he approached my flower stand, I put my elbow on the wooden counter and rested my head in my hand.

“So,” I grinned, “Did you find out which flowers your lady friend likes?” Prince Chrom looked up at me with tired eyes, but his growing smile gave away his excitement.

“As a matter of fact, I did,” he laughed, “Violets and roses.”

“Ah, so picking purple was a good idea,” I responded as I put the flowers together in a bouquet. His eyes were darting back and forth, likely keeping watch for a guard looking to drag him back into the palace. That was always one thing about being royalty I always thought was a shame; you’re being watched constantly.

“So,” I started as I handed him the flowers, “does this lady you’re smitten with have a name?” His face grew red, and was so startled the silver pieces he was paying with slipped out of his fingers.

“I-I mean, yeah,” he coughed, “but, uh… I shouldn’t say it… we’re trying to keep this private for a while, especially since my council doesn’t, uh… know yet.” Oh, this was too good.

“How scandalous,” I teased, “well, whoever she is, she’s awful lucky to have you.” He shook his head.

“No, I’m the lucky one,” he said as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, “I’m not sure what I would have done if I never picked her up off the ground that day…” He began to trail off, his eyes a bit lost in his own thoughts, until he saw the confused look I was giving him. He coughed and muttered something about having to get back before he was missed, and began to briskly walk back to the castle. I just shook my head, but I couldn’t stop smiling at just how lovesick that guy really was.

* * *

And so, we slowly began to fall into this pattern each week. I’d open the shop up at the crack of dawn, and the prince would come and buy his love a bouquet of flowers. He spilled a little bit more about her and their relationship during every visit; she had long white hair and brown eyes, and she worked for him as his tactician during the last war. One morning all he did was talk about how brilliant she was. It was a bit annoying, but it was also sweet to see just how much he really cared for her.

There was another week where he was obviously a lot more deflated than normal, and I was worried that they had a fight and weren’t seeing each other anymore. He reassured me that they were still very much in love (phew!), but they had accidentally let their relationship slip during a council meeting, and a chunk of those old hags were adamant on marrying him off to some noble lady or foreign princess for “political stability.” I rolled my eyes at that.

“They don’t want me marrying her because she can’t remember who she was before we met,” he muttered as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, “They don’t want the exalt to marry a commoner.”

“That’s just dumb,” I blurted out, “you’re the _exalt!_ You’re in charge! You should marry whoever you want to!”

“The council is supposed to represent what the people want,” he retorted, “and after so much instability lately, they think tradition will help keep the people happy.”

“Ugh,” I groaned, “I think you need new council members. Most people wouldn’t mind if you married someone like her.” He paused for a moment. He wasn’t smiling, but I could see the relief glinting in his eyes.

“Well,” he said as he handed me the two silver pieces, “if we end eloping, you better have as many flowers ready for her wedding bouquet!” I just laughed and waved him off.

* * *

The public wedding announcement came shortly after, and I had never seen the town quite so happy. It seemed like everyone had a spring in their step as the day of the royal wedding drew near. I couldn’t help but let the excitement take over me as well, especially since I got to see just how excited and nervous Prince Chrom was every week. He even came in the morning of the wedding, asking for yet another bouquet.

“Don’t you royals have fancier people to this?” I laughed as I arranged the violets and roses. He just shook his head and smiled.

“Robin asked for your flowers specifically,” he answered, “and who am I to refuse her on such a special day?”

“Does anyone tell you how much of a sap you are?”

“Hah, more often than you’d think!” I handed him the flowers, but pushed his hand away as he tried to give me the money. He rose his eyebrows at me, but I just told him to consider it a wedding present. He thanked me with a warm smile, but promised to pay double for next week’s flowers. I just laughed and shooed him away. After all, he had a pretty big day ahead, and he had no time to waste.

* * *

The time after the wedding had been peaceful and prosperous for most of the country. Prince Chrom and Lady Robin had done quite a nice job at helping us rebuild, and it was all smiles when the princess was born. During the first month of her life, the prince had started to buy his daughter her own single flower, in addition to his wife’s weekly bouquet. What a sap. But it was nice knowing just how much he cared about his little family. Some people were worried that since he was a general like his father, we were about to plunge back into those dark days when we were constantly at war.

Unfortunately, when the exalt declared war on Valm, some of those fears began to heighten. Both he and Lady Robin sailed across the sea to fight in the war campaign, leaving their daughter and us behind. I couldn’t help but worry for them often, but from time to time I also wondered if the prince had managed to find a way to give his wife weekly flowers. Knowing him and his lovestruck ways, I’m sure he had managed to figure something out.

* * *

The fighting had seemed to last for so long, but when the news that the war was finally over, it was as if we all breathed a sigh of relief. Just like the end of any war, there was rebuilding left to deal with, but as the Shepherd militia marched through the city and back to the palace, all there really was among the people was happiness. I wasn’t able to spot the prince during the march, but I was sure that in a day or two, I would see a familiar cloaked man come up to my flower stand at the break of dawn, eager to purchase another bouquet of flowers.

But then, the next day, Exalt Chrom gave us the solemn announcement. Lady Robin had sacrificed herself in the last battle, and was no longer among us. That day, it was as if the color had drained from the world itself. So many people were heartbroken, including myself. That day, my grandmother and I closed our shop early, and I couldn’t help but shed a few tears for the exalt. We were devastated, but I couldn’t imagine what it was like for Lord Chrom, even if he tried to give us a brave appearance.

He didn’t come back to the shop for several weeks, even after life in the town began to fall back into its normal pace. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried for him. I still kept my eyes out for him that same day every week, just in case he decided to come back.

Instead he came back on a different day of the week, but still in those early morning hours. I tried greeting him with a sad smile, until we made eye contact. My smile quickly disappeared when I saw just how sunken his eyes had become. They really lost his youthful spark, and he looked exhausted. His heart was still completely shattered. Who could blame him? He had just lost the love of his life. I had no idea what to say, and we stood there silently until he reached into his pouch and pulled out two silver pieces.

“The same as usual,” he muttered as he set the money on the counter. My eyes focused on him, and then the money, and then back to him before I slowly nodded. My hands were shaking as I put these familiar flowers together, and I could feel unshed tears threaten to roll down my cheeks as I worked. I glanced over at him to check on him, but his eyes stared off into the distance, not really focusing on anything.

“It’s her birthday today,” he said as I finished wrapping the flowers with a purple ribbon, “She… really loved these flowers. She always thought they were lovely. She always said that they brightened up her day.”

“That’s good to hear,” I quietly thanked, “I always enjoyed putting them together.” He nodded as I handed him the bouquet. He began to walk away, until I stopped him and reached for an extra flower.

“For Princess Lucina,” I offered. He tried to set the flowers he was holding down on the counter as he tried to fish for another coin, but I shook my head.

“Please take it,” I insisted, “after… after everything that’s happened… this is all I can really do for you…” He shut his eyes for a moment and sighed, but then took the other flower.

“We all miss her,” I said, “We… we cared for her too. For all of you. I hope… I hope you start to feel better soon, milord.” He sighed again, but this time he couldn’t stop the tear from rolling down his cheek.

“Thank you,” he whimpered, “Just… thank you…”

* * *

Years started to go by, and I rarely ever saw the exalt. Every once and a while I’d see him as he came and went from patrol, and on occasion he’d come by to buy flowers again. But each and every time, he wore a solemn look on his face, still staring off into the distance as if he was watching for something or someone to appear. That is, until one evening, as I was starting to close the shop up, I saw him sprinting up the street. He didn’t even bother to wear a cloak to cover up his identity. He stopped dead in his tracks in front of me, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath.

“M-Milord…?! What on earth is going on?!” I asked, startled.

“C-Can you,” he panted as he seemingly ignored my question, “can you… put together a violet and rose bouquet?! I-I know it’s… l-last minute, but-“

“Say no more,” I sighed as I began to pull stuff out again, “I can’t refuse a personal request from the exalt himself!” He just laughed at that, seemingly catching his breath again. When he finally looked up as I finished putting the flowers together, I saw a spark in his eyes again. Did he find another woman he was interested in? Honestly, that made my heart ache. He adored Lady Robin, and seeing him with another woman just seemed… odd. I decided to simply ask what got him in a tizzy like this, and the smile he wore on his face easily rivaled the one he wore the day he was married.

“She’s back,” he laughed, “Gods be praised, she came back to us!” He then tried to explain to me how Lady Robin needed… ties? To this world? In order to escape the grasp of the fell dragon? Honestly, I could barely understand what he was talking about, so I reminded him that it was getting late and he probably needed to get back to the castle with those flowers soon. He agreed with me, still wearing that big smile on his face as he took the flowers and ran home.

I was still a bit confused when he said that Lady Robin had returned at first. I was worried that perhaps he was bewitched for some wicked reason, seeing as it was no secret that the exalt absolutely loved his wife. But when he presented her to us on that huge balcony again, I knew it was really her. Everyone around me was overjoyed at seeing her again, and a few tears of joy rolled down my own face.

After that, our routine from before the war started up again. Once a week, on the same day, at the crack of dawn, the exalt would come to my little flower shop wearing a cloak to try to hide his true identity. He’d give me two silver pieces, and I’d put together a bouquet of violets and roses for his wife.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually had this in my WIP folder for months, but when I saw that one of the prompts for Chrobin Week this years was flowers, I thought I could brush the dust off and finish this fic up. It's not a style I do often, but I hope it was enjoyable! Constructive Criticism is always welcomed~ Thanks!


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